The Invitations
by TamariChan
Summary: Owen and Margarry send out the invitations. Written for Ficmas in June at Goldenlake.


464

The letters begin to arrive from Owen and Margarry: Everyone's invited to the wedding at Cavall. Lord Wyldon is psyched to see all his old charges again. Please stay for as long as you like! Especially you, Neal. For gifts, they kindly request books, books, books (and new collars for the hounds). Also, Kel, Margarry is eager for some self-defense lessons like you gave Lalasa.

Kel gets the letter in Corus. She has agreed to take Raoul's place – he didn't _have_ to retire to get married, but he decided recently that he might as well turn it over to Kel and ride around with his wife and the Riders for a while. Avoiding court is just a bonus. Kel decided to stay with Third because they are the best and she and Dom are close. (Are they courting? None of your business, Neal.) Is she going to drag the whole company to Cavall? She's not quite that cruel. She'll leave them with the First in Corus. (Just for a few weeks! They can lurk around the Lower City and commit good deeds.) Dom is riding out for the wedding with her. But it's totally just because he made friends with Owen in the north. Totally.

Neal, too, receives his copy in Corus. Now that healers and fighters aren't needed desperately up North, Neal has returned to reunite with Yuki. He would be bored during the time Yuki spends doing (gasp!) other things… but luckily, Myles is getting tired of juggling his spy work and teaching pages. Neal, as we all know, would be an _excellent_ influence on the pages. Really excellent. And Myles is cool to step back in for a bit so that Neal can come to the wedding. Rest easy, Lord Wyldon, he won't miss it! Yuki is coming along. Will she be a calming influence, or a mischievous one? Only time will tell.

Cleon is regrettably caught up at his wife's fief. So sad. (But it's not _too_ sad, because Cleon and Ermelian are eagerly expecting their first child any day now.)

But Faleron and Merric are coming! Faleron has been helping out at King's Reach and avoiding his mother's matchmaking antics. Merric has been at court, getting back in shape after his recovery from a shoulder injury. He spends a lot of time annoying Neal, and vice versa. Merric's jousting has gotten much better, so Kel better watch out. (Ha.) Rumor has it the two are going to be sent out to Persopolis in a few months. Poor Merric better buy a burnoose or he will burn. Alan of Pirate's Swoop advised him, having found out the hard way that redheads struggle in the desert sun. (Alanna thought it was funnier to let Alan find out himself.)

Owen's cousins, Warric and Iden, will obviously be attending. They are still riding the highs of new-knighthood and frolicking in Port Caynn. What should they do with this new knighthood in a time of peace? They probably shouldn't ask Alanna for ideas. They also intend to write to Margarry and inquire about the possible presence of unmarried court ladies at the wedding (just for research purposes). Margarry's sister, Sunarine, will be there for sure. But regardless, the cousins have the same sense of tact and subtlety as Owen… so flirting is not their strength, to say the least.

Prince Roald may or may not have to sneak out if he wants to go. He really shouldn't be leaving Corus so soon after the birth of Lianokami… but lil' Owen is getting married, come on. Shinko would want to go too, but Liano isn't ready for that much travel yet. The new mother has been struggling since Liano's birth: it was a tough one, both physically and emotionally. But Yuki and Kel will be back soon to support her. And while Thayet can't replace Shinko's own family in the Islands, she's pretty cool as far as mother-in-laws go. They relieve stress together with fan dances and glaive practices.

Seaver has been lying low lately. He has been in the desert with his mother's family and is also well equipped to give survival tips to Merric and Faleron. He might as well make the trip up to Cavall. He hasn't seen his year-mates since the conclusion of the war.

Esmond has been at Nicoline, managing the rebuilding of one of the fief's towns after a devastating rockfall. Regretfully, he cannot make it. But he sends his congratulations to the couple. (Didn't think you had it in you, Owen!)

To be honest, Owen forgot to invite Prosper. Sorry, Prosper. He doesn't mind; he is newly wed to Isadora of Irimor, who was one of the Queen's Ladies before their betrothal. By all accounts, they are content, and Isadora is quite popular with the commoners of Tameran.

By the end of the spring of 464, couriers carrying replies have departed from all corners of Tortall, headed toward Cavall and an ecstatic engaged couple.


End file.
